High Court Judge announces his retirement

A Vincentian judge, who has served in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court for 17 years announced has his retirement in court yesterday, May 9, 2024, on his 62nd birthday.

Justice, Brian Cottle, who presides over High Court #1 in Kingstown made the announcement to a jury after hearing the final submissions in a sex offence case from defense and prosecution counsels.

Cottle informed the jury of this, because he was expected to retire yesterday, on his 62nd birthday. However, his summation for the trial is still outstanding, as well as the jury’s deliberation and verdict.

Cottle said that his summations would last for about two hours. Then the jury would have to spend additional time deliberating the case, which would then cause the court to conclude late in the evening. He said that there may be jurors who have tasks to complete at that time, so he does not want to prejudice the defendant by having three speeches being delivered to the jury in one day, as he has”…Always sought to be fair…” .

Though Cottle said he had his summations prepared, he would adjourn the matter to today, May 10,2024, to present his summations and have the jury deliberate and hand back a verdict.

However, if he is not granted the authorization to continue as High Court Judge for one more day, and complete the matter, then the entire trial would have to restart.

Cottle, who has worked in numerous countries in the Caribbean commenced his role as High Court Judge in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in 2007. Prior to this appointment, he worked in private practice in Trinidad and Tobago between the years 1987 and 1990. He also has worked in the Attorney General’s Chambers in St Vincent and the Grenadines between 1990 and 1999, after which he served in the Attorney General’s Chambers in Montserrat for two years, from the year 2000. In 2002, he proceeded to work in Antigua and Barbuda in the Attorney General’s Chambers, and was also appointed to be a Master in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission.

Cottle was also assigned to reside in and hear cases from St Lucia, Dominica and Grenada. Then in 2007, he was promoted to serve as a High Court Judge in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and has been serving in such capacity to this day.

The retiring judge graduated with Honours from the University of the West Indies which he attended between 1982 and 1985, obtaining a Bachelors degree in Law. He obtained a Legal Education Certificate at the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and Tobago, where he attended between 1985 and 1987. He was called to the Bar in Trinidad and Tobago in 1987, and then in his home country, St Vincent and the Grenadines in 1990.